We were able to find enough wood around the site to build a small fire that would last a few hours. The campground was full, but we were lucky that our site was pretty secluded and had a path with direct access to the ocean. I was really excited to get some night shots with my newly purchased tripod. When we got to the ocean, the above picture was the view. The half-moon was bright orange and hovering just above the horizon. I got the camera set up in time to take 2 pictures before the moon disappeared behind clouds. The stars there were the best I had seen in years, and we had the whole beach to ourselves. I will definitely return to this spot. We took a short walk in the morning, packed up our things, and continued on.
In the morning, we decided to pack up and head out a day early. Any day hike we could do, was still covered in snow. Lesson learned: don't go to Olympic National Park until later in the summer. Also, bring a deck of cards or some dice or paper and a pen.... something, anything to pass the time! The hike we really wanted to do was the High Divide. It was unreachable at this time of the year. We made a loop hike on the way out, passing Mink Lake. This hike was preferred by both of us to the hike on the first day. We had some panoramic views of the countryside, and we saw a small family of deer about 7 or 8 miles into the back-country. We only saw 2 other hikers on this trail. We didn't start seeing people again until we hit Mink Lake. The total distance of the loop was about 14 miles.
- Distance: 14 miles
- Elevation: ~ 3,000 feet